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ΘρΘτι Routledge Taylor \& Francis Group ALP © Michael Lacewing The role and significance of miracle stories in religions There is no one role that stories of miracles have in the major world religions, and there is strong disagreement over their significance, even within any one religion. At the outset, it is worth noting that none of the scriptures of Judaism, Christianity and Islam use the word 'miracle' (or equivalent). Instead, all three use words that mean 'wonder', 'power' or, very often, 'sign' to describe those events that we might now judge to be miraculous. So there is even a question over whether a particular story is, in fact, a 'miracle' story. THE ROLES OF MIRACLE STORIES Nevertheless, it is fair to say that the understanding of miracles, in most religions, has been dominated by the following three roles, relating to God's activity in history, the life of particular holy men, and divine revelation: 1. Miracles are signs (rather than events that contravene the laws of nature) that demonstrate God's underlying activity in the world and his purposes. They reveal God's character and plan. Miracles performed by individuals illustrate the meaning and impact of their mission. While some miracle stories tell of apparently random demonstrations of power, most tell of events such as healing, rescuing, resurrection, conversion, and so on, and relate to the values of the religion and its understanding of God. 2. Miracles are intended to support the development of religious faith. The performance of the miracle is supposed to demonstrate the truth of what the miracle worker says - the power to work the miracle shows the message comes from God. Miracles can be intended to generate conviction in particular individuals, or they can occur at a historical period in order to establish a religion generally. (Many Protestant Christians argued that God allowed and enabled miracles in the early church, but not since.) 3. Miracle stories are intended to highlight revelation through scripture. The miracles confirm what else is said in scripture, and gives scripture God's seal of approval. However, (stories of) miracles also function in other ways: 4. They demonstrate the connection of the physical world to a spiritual world. 5. They support the belief that supplicatory prayer can be meaningful. 6. They support the belief in the ability of a personal God to respond to the world. 7. They enhance the reputation of a saint or holy person, proving their connection to …